Deutch said he won't be joining them. "Flattered to be part of the conversation, but I love the work I do and will enthusiastically seek re-election in Florida's 21st District in 2016," he said by email.

Deutch, 48, is virtually guaranteed re-election in the southwest Palm Beach County and northwest Broward district for years to come. In his four previous elections, he averaged 76 percent of the vote, and in 2012 and 2014 Republicans didn't even bother to field a candidate against him.

U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch has an idea that's unnatural and nonsensical in the political world: take a temporary, self-imposed break from the constant drive to raise campaign cash.

During what he's calling "Fundraising Free February," Deutch said he won't hold any fundraising events in the capital or...

As a potential Senate candidate, Deutch would have offered Democratic primary voters someone who is staunchly liberal on economic and social issues and centrist to conservative on key foreign policy issues.

On the domestic front, he is a sponsor of legislation that would increase taxes to solve the long-term financing crunch facing Social Security and expand benefits. He has called for greater food stamp benefits even as the program has come under increasing criticism from conservatives. And he favored gay adoption and same-sex marriage long before support became almost universal among Democrats.

WEST DELRAY — U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, whose Broward/Palm Beach county district is home to more seniors than almost any other in the state, sought Tuesday to combat the spreading notion that the Social Security program is in trouble and benefits need to be reduced to save it.

"They claim we're facing...

Deutch recently reintroduced a proposal to amend the Constitution. His Democracy for All amendment would overturn the Citizens United campaign finance decision from the U.S. Supreme Court and allow state and federal laws to regulate election spending. He conceded that his Democratic-sponsored amendment wouldn't pass the Republican-controlled Congress, but said the proposed amendment helps keep the issue alive.

On the foreign policy front, he has long been a strong supporter of Israel.

Despite many Democrats expressing anger at the political maneuvering between Republican House Speaker John Boehner and the Israeli ambassador that led to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech before a joint session of Congress, Deutch welcomed the prime minister. He was on the committee that escorted Netanyahu into the House chamber for the speech.

He has avoided endorsing President Barack Obama's new policy toward Cuba, a position that has helped him maintain strong working relationship with Miami-Dade County's Cuban-American Republican members of Congress, especially with U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, with whom he serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Deutch is the top Democrat on the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee.

"Ted is immensely popular. He's doing a great job for his district. And he's in many ways a perfect representative of his district and the people who live there. And there's no reason why he should ever retire," said Mark Alan Siegel, former chairman of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party. "He's strong with his constituents. He's strong with his colleagues. Why should he give it up [to run for Senate]?"

A Senate campaign could have jeopardized his political career. He's only had one difficult, heated and contentious race, when he beat state Rep. Irv Slosberg in a 2006 state Senate primary. Statewide, Deutch isn't well-known and would have to compete in 10 media markets. He's never had to raise money on the scale a Senate candidacy would require.

Part of the reason for Deutch's success is the strong Democratic advantage in voter registration in his House district.

Jack Rubin, 86, who lives west of Boynton Beach, recently attended a Deutch-sponsored town hall meeting on Social Security and pronounced himself a big fan.

"I love him. He's a very honest person," Rubin said. "He wants to do good for all the people, especially the senior citizens."

Political career: State senator, 2007-10; member of Congress, April 2010 to present; member, Foreign Affairs, Judiciary and Ethics committees; ranking Democrat, Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee.